It’s pretty sure that the Champs Elysees will be on your list of places to see in Paris.

Known as the most beautiful avenue in the world, it conjures up visions of promenading and hob-nobbing with the Parisian high society. It is, of course, incredibly expensive – it is definitely one of the most expensive places in Europe, possibly the world. As a result, very few people actually live here (but those who are rich enough do live close by). We have many More Paris Vacation Information, Travel Review and Attractions Articles Now Available.

The Champs Elysees is a wide tree lined avenue with very wide sidewalks. It slopes gently down from the Arc de Triomphe to La Place de la Concorde. The road itself takes four lines of traffic going in each direction. There are pedestrian crossings, however, and fortunately they are controlled by traffic lights (otherwise you’d never get across).

You can start at either end, so if you are visiting the Arc de Triomphe, you take the Metro to Charles de Gaulle – Etoile station. After your visit there, you can walk down the Champs Elysees. On the other hand, if you are visiting La Place de la Concorde, you take the Metro to Concorde station and walk up the hill from there.

It’s just over a mile long and the slope is very gentle, so it is quite easy to walk the whole way. If you don’t want to do that, however, there are a further three Metro stations on the Champs Elysees itself – these are George V, Franklin D Roosevelt, and Champs Elysees-Clemenceau.

There are plenty of cafes and restaurants, so to get that Champs Elysees experience, it is worth stopping off for a coffee or a bite to eat. After you are home from your vacation, you can reminisce about “that restaurant we ate in on the Champs Elysee”.

There are also plenty of shops, but apart from a few exclusive shops (Louis Vuitton, for example), there’s really not that much that you wouldn’t see at home.

My favorite part of the avenue is at the eastern end, close to Franklin D Roosevelt station, where you will find the gardens of the Marigny theatre and the Palais d’Elysee (Elysee Palace). On the other side of the road is the the Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais (National Gallery of the Grand Palace).

To walk on the Champs Elysees, and to have a drink or something to eat there, is one of life’s great experiences – one which you should make sure you take part in on your vacation. We have many More Paris Vacation Information, Travel Review and Attractions Articles Now Available.